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Letter R on The A to Z April Challenge 2014

Today’s letter on the April A to Z Challenge is R. My Book is Red Clay and Roses by S. K. Nicholls. Genre: Historical, Life & Relationships.

Red Clay and Roses by S.K. Nicholls

Book description-

A fictionalized true story of life in the Deep South during the time of Jim Crow Law, and before Roe vs. Wade. Women were supposed to keep quiet and serve, abortion was illegal, adoption difficult, and racism rampant. The discovery of an old ledger opens a window into the dynamics of the 1950s-60s. Unspoken secrets are shared between Beatrice, The Good Doctor’s wife, and Moses Grier, their black handyman. The Grier’s daughter, Althea, suffers a tragedy that leaves her family silent and mournful. Her brother, Nathan, a medical student, looks for answers from a community that is deaf, blind, and dumb. A summer romance between Nathan and Sybil, an independent, high-spirited, white woman, leaves more unresolved. Nathan is thrust into the centre of the Civil Rights Movement. Sybil is torn between living the mundane life of her peers, or a life that involves fastening herself to a taboo relationship. Witness social progress through the eyes of those who lived it!

When I’m not reading roman tic comedies I love a good historical novel. A bit slow off the starting blocks butt — I’m just getting into the OUTLANDER series. Love it. This novel Red Clay and Roses sounds intriguing.

I also am not into romances but the historical aspect of this book does intrigue me. I live in the South and am interested to know how accurate the book might be in this respect. So much of the South’s history has been exploited, such as in the movie Django Unchained; so many accept that works of fiction are true,

Well this book is based on a diary and is pretty relevant to the people involved in the entries, the author spent a great deal o time interviewing many of the people involved in the book. Hope you find time to give it a read.

Thank you for saying so! I have to tell you that cover was a hard fraught decision. My editor wanted a cover that emphasized the romance, or black poverty, and I fought hard against it. I didn’t want the romance to be the focal point of the cover because it is not the focal point of the story. I also didn’t want an image of black people sitting on the front porch of a shanty house. That seemed exploitative. A professional cover image artist took a photo I had made of a cherub and roses mentioned in the book and got the idea from that image to make this cover. I am happy with his work :)

Author of First World War novel 'WE THAT ARE LEFT'. March Book of the Month for The Welsh Books Council, Waterstones and National Museums of Wales. 'EDEN'S GARDEN' finalist in THE PEOPLE'S BOOK PRIZE, 2013/14.